Meghan Markle could soon again become the center of attention. The Duchess of Sussex has kept a low profile since she returned to the United Kingdom with Prince Harry and their two children last August. While her husband has been busy with charitable activities and professional commitments, in addition to a secret project, the American has not yet accompanied him at any of these public appearances.
After the couple settled in the Cotswolds, it was confirmed that Meghan Markle would continue working on her brand, As Ever, and that she would travel to the United States from time to time. Meanwhile, rumors circulated that the duchess was negotiating a return to acting in Guy Ritchie’s series The Gentlemen. Although she has been seen dining out with famous friends such as Ellen DeGeneres, she has yet to make an appearance at any event attended by the media.
The rumor gains traction that Meghan Markle will attend the newly inaugurated Paris Fashion Week. The Duchess of Sussex already appeared for the first time on the front row of Balenciaga’s show last year, allegedly self-inviting herself to the event. After the As Ever Instagram account posted a photo of a bookmark placed over what appeared to be a travel guide to the French capital, suspicions grew that the Suits star would repeat her presence at this glamorous occasion.
Last year, Meghan Markle was seen sharing the front row of the show with Pierpaolo Piccioli, the creative director of the French fashion house. She was also seen greeting the legendary Vogue editor Anna Wintour and chatting with film director Baz Luhrmann. Yet her Parisian adventure was not without its controversy.
Meghan Markle’s rocky debut in Paris
With a pristine white look, the Duchess of Sussex made her debut at Paris Fashion Week last year, appearing in Balenciaga’s front row. After traveling alone from Montecito, where she resided at that time, her appearance was as surprising as it was widely commented upon. She had gone to support Pierpaolo Piccioli, who was responsible for her striking dress, complemented by a spectacular cape.
The Meghan Markle look at Paris Fashion Week.
But it soon emerged that Meghan Markle had not been formally invited to the show, as is customary for other celebrities, but that she had sought out her own invitation. The Italian designer later revealed that the Duchess of Sussex had asked him if she could attend the front row, thereby dispelling the notion that she had been personally invited by the house’s management.
Meghan herself confirmed that she got in touch with Pierpaolo Piccioli to request attendance at the show, and later told Harper’s Bazaar: “I told him I would be delighted to go and cheer him on. We kept it secret and it was a lot of fun.” But the controversy intensified when Meghan seemed to laugh and cover her mouth as a model stumbled on the Balenciaga runway. A gesture that quickly went viral.
The Sussexes’ ‘blackmail’
Parallel to Meghan Markle’s possible appearance in Paris, the debate in the United Kingdom continues about who should fund the security for the Sussexes. From the pages of the Daily Mail it is now claimed that Prince Harry and his wife might consider returning to California if state-funded protection is denied. An outcome that the English newspaper labels as “outrageous” and “practically a blackmail”.
The Prince Harry and King Charles III, in an archival image.
The intention of Charles III’s youngest son, who his father has described, practically, as a private citizen, is to receive the same protection enjoyed by active members of the royal family. Harry lost state-funded security in 2020, after the couple stepped back from official duties and relocated abroad, and he did not succeed in overturning the decision in the courts.
His return has now triggered a new review of the case. Prince Harry argues that, as the son of King Charles III, who also served his country in Afghanistan, he deserves as much protection as any other high-ranking member of the British royal family. However, not even the king’s own siblings enjoy such protection, but rather they only receive it while performing official duties.
